The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, today called on the authorities to investigate the killings of journalists, Luis Alfredo de León Miranda and Laurent Ángel Castillo Cifuentes, whose bodies were found in Mazatenango, southwestern Guatemala, on 1 February.

“I condemn the killings of Laurent Ángel Castillo Cifuentes and Luis Alfredo de León Miranda,” said the Director-General. “I call on the authorities to investigate these crimes and ensure that those responsible for them go to trial. Impunity cannot be allowed to embolden murderers, undermine the fundamental human right of freedom of expression, and limit citizens’ right to information.”

Laurent Ángel Castillo Cifuentes was a cultural and sports reporter for the newspaper Nuestro Diario. Luis Alfredo de León Miranda, who worked in the advertising department of Radio Coatepeque, travelled with Castillo Cifuentes to Mazatenango on 28 January to cover a carnival celebration in the municipality.